#studious vuadis

[ambienceroyale]

Gaming Moments, Scenes, & Screenshots

Horizon Forbidden West (2022)

[horizon-series-details]

“Clear the Way” is one of the longer tracks in the Forbidden West OST, as it sits at exactly 3 minutes. We hear it during the cutscene where Aloy first meets Studious Vuadis. It’s generally speaking, one of the softer tracks. It’s slower, and doesn’t make use of heavy synth or percussion, which makes sense as it is heard in a cutscene with quite a bit of talking.

We do start off with light percussion though, which comes in at (0:06). It’s light, and helps set the pace fairly well, as the tone is bright yet still fairly mysterious. At (0:32) we hear a bit of woodwind, which is a nice touch, though the percussion is still the main focus of this track. (0:43) brings some strings in a lower octave, which actually lead to the main melody of this track.

We hear a bit more percussion right at the (1:00) mark, and it still remains light despite the slightly somber tone the rest of the track has taken. We hear more of the strings with a crescendo at (1:09), and after they fade in and out a couple times, we hear another melody with more woodwinds, this time in a lower octave, at (1:47)

That melody is actually one of the longer ones in this piece, as it actually lasts until (2:13). Things actually speed up somewhat at (2:20), though that is brief as it slows down again at (2:30). Finally, we hear a repeat of the melody that ended at 2:13 as it comes in again at (2:38). This part is also what allows for the track to begin to fade out at (2:51), letting it end right at (3:00)

[one-of-many-journeys]

Day 1 (1/3)

The Daunt

I made it over the crest of the mountain range just after dawn to face a narrow valley stretching out to the western border at Barren Light. New lands, a new mission; time to start fresh. Sylens was right about one thing: for all my searching so far, I haven't gotten anywhere. So we begin again from zero.

There was a half-collapsed tower looking out over the valley, a camp and workshop set up out front with a sturdy cable car sitting ready to sail down to the valley floor. Its operator, Karn, gave me an enthusiastic greeting and run down on the current situation. He was under strict orders not to operate his cable car until some whistle sounded at Chainscrape, a town between Barren Light and the valley's edge. A work stoppage had been ordered in the valley (called the Daunt) due to a stampede of Bristlebacks wreaking havoc, making it too dangerous to walk the valley. Well, machines are no issue for me. I told Karn I'd operate the car myself if I had to, and that finally convinced him to crank me down to the Daunt.

Incredible views on the way down. The valley is dotted with old Carja fortresses at their highest peaks, and the sounds of the Bristlebacks stomping and screeching echoed between them. Karn delivered some bad news: the embassy at Barren Light couldn't begin until a certain uncooperative Sun Priest made his way there to bless the ceremony. He was refusing to travel until the valley was declared safe. Embassy or not, I'm going west, but if it'll keep the Tenakth off my back, I should try to make it happen.

The Sun Priest was about what I was expecting. Studious Vuadis—and he was very particular about his full title—first greeted me in the standard way for Carja nobility. Savage easterner, how dare I speak to him, etc. His vanguard escort was mortified as he recognised me and reminded the priest that I was the so dubbed 'Saviour of Meridian'. No apologies, of course; he simply refused to travel until the captain of the vanguard returned to confirm the Bristlebacks defeated. So, Erend was in the Daunt too—probably to help escort Fashav back to Meridian. The vanguardsman told me where to find Erend and I set off, but only after lobbing a few threats and insults at Studious and his scroll. He begrudgingly agreed to head to Chainscrape and wait there, as the machines hadn't yet ventured that far.

Into the Daunt. After a day of marching through snow and bitter winds, it was a breath of fresh air. Trifle too hot. No sign of any Bristlebacks as I walked (jogged) to Chainscrape to restock before setting out to find Erend, though I dispatched a few Burrowers along the way.

I found a shard of Greenshine glowing under a bridge. I've heard of the substance and its value but have never found any in the wilds. If it's native to the west, that would explain its rarity. I harvested the crystal to supplement my dismal collection of shards. I must have been one of the richest hunters around before those bandits stole my stash. I'll be lucky if I can even afford whatever they're selling in Chainscrape.

The Oseram guards at the gate recognised me and let me in. Seemed the work stoppage extended to the town itself, though I for one didn't see any Bristlebacks inside. Shutting down the town doesn't make any sense, but according to Karn, the leader of the settlement, Ulvund, is a real piece of shit. Not his words.

As I wandered into Chainscrape, someone called out to me, and who should I see but Petra Forgewoman, a very long way from her post at Free Heap. She took my arrival as an opportunity to catch up, grabbing my hand and leading me straight for the tavern. I had to shut her down, tell her I was here for the embassy, just passing through. No time for pleasantries. Watching her face fall almost made me reconsider. Certainly made me feel like an asshole. Petra doesn't understand the stakes, so I can't blame her. I can't blame any of them, but I don't have time to play at friendship.

I spoke to the first smith I came across and he confirmed the order to cease work town wide, but he let me use his work bench to do some tinkering of my own. Using some parts I'd picked up on the journey west, I modified my bow to make it at least a little more deadly. Nothing approaching my old Banuk striker, of course. I miss that beautiful thing. I bought some acid arrows too, sure to be effective against the Bristlebacks.

I then left Chainscrape to lend my bow to the Bristleback fight, and pick up Erend's trail.

The Bristlebacks weren't hard to follow. Carcasses, corpses, puddles of acid, piles of rubble. Karn said they're not native to the Daunt. No one knows how they got inside; the only way in is by the sealed gate at Barren Light. I can't let myself get sucked in by some irrelevant mystery. I clear the machines, I go west.

Further along the path of destruction, a pack of Scroungers were circling a ruin where an Oseram hid. He called down to me, telling me to lure the Scroungers into shock wire traps he'd set around the ruins. I did so, striking the Scroungers down while stunned. Really made me miss my Tripcaster.

The Oseram, Thurlis, climbed down to thank me. He said he'd seen Erend and the other vanguardsmen pass by, then handed over his Tripcaster in exchange for my help. I felt obliged to listen to his story after that. He was out here hunting for parts, hiding from Ulvund and his goons after they'd burned his workshop down (allegedly) when he didn't bend to Ulvund's rising taxes. In all the time I've been here, I haven't heard one nice thing about the guy.

Following Thurlis' directions, I soon picked up the vanguard's tracks again, following the destructive path of another Bristleback.

At the end of the path I found Erend tousling with a Bristleback, clearly in his element with hammer in hand. Another vanguardsman sat injured on a nearby platform. Once the machine was down, our greeting was brief. I guess I distracted him a moment too long, and another Bristleback charged into his chest, knocking him down. It was all he could do to hoist himself up to safety to avoid another blow. I took the lead after that, taking down the remaining Bristlebacks by detonating their acid canisters and knocking them down by loosing quarry stones from the cranes above.

Erend came back down once the coast was clear, struggling with his injuries. Struggling with his temper, too. He was shitty with me about leaving Meridian without saying goodbye, not to him or to anyone else who risked their lives at my side. It's like he thinks I chose this, that I left just to spite him personally. Guess what, Erend? You're not that important to me—not as important as, say, the entire planet and everyone on it.

Again, I tried to convey the stakes of my mission to someone determined to get their feelings hurt. Saving the world, end of days encroaching; moving on. He seemed to think I'd wait up for him, that he could come with me, even though it would take him a few days to heal from his injuries. I told him I don't have time. I could tell that hurt him too, but he apologised for his outburst. I should seek him out once I'm in Barren Light, try to smooth things over. I really don't know what I'm doing with this sort of thing.

Erend directed me to the quarry, where most of the Bristlebacks were concentrated. It's where he'd been planning to go next. More carcasses and acid deposits lined the road. I helped out a pair of Oseram on the way, struggling to hold back a stray Bristleback.

In the quarry proper, I helped the Oseram workers take down the rest of the Bristlebacks, again mostly relying on acid arrows to detonate their canisters and send them into a frenzy, leaving their corroded armour vulnerable to damage.

I spoke to the quarry leader once the fighting was done and was rewarded for my efforts. She lamented their many losses, ruing the silence (but mostly the lost profits) brought on by Ulvund's orders. Good thing he'll have to lift the ban now that the machines are gone.

I overrode a Charger from a nearby herd and rode back to Chainscrape to deliver the good news to Vuadis. No more danger; time for the embassy.

I passed by the many quiet market stalls and stations, crossing to the other side of the town where Vuadis and his escort were waiting.

Even with the danger dealt with, Vuadis refused to venture forth. He didn't trust me, or was just determined to make trouble, refusing to take orders from a savage no matter how famed. Until Ulvund sounded his whistle to end the work stoppage, he would not go. If it wasn't safe for mere Oseram labourers, how could it be safe for a priest chosen by the sun? Typical bullshit. I couldn't wait around for Ulvund to get wind of my deeds from Redhew Quarry or the vanguard. I had to go convince him myself.

[pikapeppa]

In Becoming Whole, Aloy seemed much more willing to let Kotallo in. Sure, it wasn’t easy for her but she seemed so ready to trust him…

With Drakka though, she just seems so angry and so often shuts down when things get too real.

I can see that both versions of Aloy have the same concerns, insecurities, and trauma… but with Kotallo she seemed to want what she could have with him, and pushed herself to honestly share herself with him, even if it scared her or felt like a betrayal to her divine mission etc.

And with Drakka she just seems so much more tortured and haunted. I know that you fleshed out her reactions/feelings to Drakka a fair bit during his base visit, but it seems at odds with Kotallo’s version of Aloy.

Was there any particularly reason you’ve made Desert Bloom’s Aloy more reserved?

I know you’ve been winging a lot of this but do you have any thoughts on whether it’s a personality thing… a trust thing… anything? 😂

In my mind Drakka is the home she’s always wanted and is desperate to protect it… but I’d much prefer your pov lol

Sorry for the essay! Love your work x

Ah yes, the comparison of Aloy-with-Kotallo vs. Aloy-with-Drakka… This is what I bring on myself when writing two concurrent ships with Aloy (technically three including Avad LOL).

The way I see it, I haven’t made Aloy a different person in Desert Blooms compared to Becoming Whole. She was the same person with the same trauma/concerns/insecurities when she met Kotallo and when she met Drakka. It’s that Kotallo and Drakka are very different people, and the quality+amount of time she spent with each of them was VERY different, so her dynamics with each of them have resulted in relationships that look quite different. 

More below the cut!

One of the things I love so much about Aloy as a protag is that she’s so multifaceted: she can be gentle and empathetic, she can be sassy and lighthearted, and she can be downright rude/sharp (in the best way sometimes, e.g. with Studious Vuadis LMAO), and all of those mannerisms for her are in-character — and this is also reflective of how people are IRL. I know for sure that I act differently with my husband vs. with my closest girlfriends vs. with colleagues at work, but all of the ways I act are still “me”. Similarly, the “me” I was with my high school boyfriend is different from the “me” I am now with my husband. Part of that is time/age/experience, for sure, but it’s also a function of the man I was with/am with — but both versions of me are still “me”. Maybe this sounds stupid and self-explanatory, but we are changed and affected by the people we have relationships with, and this is why Aloy “seems” so different with Kotallo vs. Drakka. 

With Kotallo in Becoming Whole, there are so many reasons that Aloy opened up more quickly. I made a table to make it easier to compare these reasons side-by-side and because I’m a fucking nerd LOL. Please do tap to enlarge if you're so inclined, I'm sorry for the small font -- blame technical issues on my side for this 😂😭💀:

(Note that the above is based on headcanons unless otherwise stated.)

There’s probably more I could add to this table, but I think this is enough for now without me looking like Charlie Day in that meme LOL.

In any case, this reply might come a little late since some of your questions might get addressed in the chapter of Desert Blooms that I just posted 😂 but in any case, I hope this was an interesting response! 

-- love from your friendly neighbourhood Pika! xoxo

[galoogamelady]

It comes with being anointed

[singingkestrel]

Vanguard crew.

[disgruntled-welshgirl]

15/15

[adropinalimitlessocean]

Nooo not Studious Vuadis

[commander-shad]

I said in a blog earlier today that I would post my thoughts on the game after I was done, but screw it, I'm going for it now lmao. I just need to talk about it ok-

Don't go below the cut if you haven't played up until the quest Singularity (haven't done it myself yet)!

Long post ahead!

Let's start from the beginning eh?

1. The game starts by getting you right in the feels, huh? "And for a moment, I feel whole" Give this girl a found family pls, she needs it

2. Didn't expect Varl to show up! And the beard suits him, no matter what Aloy says lmao (why he'd have to get rid of it?)

3. Burrowers are so cute, a bit of a pain in the ass, but cute

4. Damn, Aloy has to write a guide on how to destroy someone's entire worldview in less than five minutes, because like, she didn't even hesitate (it becomes a little ironic if you told CYAN to go gently on the Banuk in the Frozen Wilds lol)

5. Well, if the Far Zenith stuff isn't a huge Chekhov's Gun, then I don't know what is

6. They actually let Aloy say "sh*t"! It took me aback a little honestly, out of all things in the game, this is what surprised me, huh

7. The Slitherfang was so cool tho

8. For that one scene- I legit just went 'Travis, you f*cking nerd!' Really felt Aloy's pain here

9. Really didn't expect the return to Meridian! A pleasant surprise for sure

10. That statue tho

11. Sylens, you son of a-

12. Avad still thirsts over Aloy I see. I picked the brain option, but after seeing the fist one giffed, I kinda wish I picked that one instead, but what's done done lol, Imma go for that next playthrough

13. It was nice to see some returning characterS for a while before we embarked to the West

14. Wow, Aloy really bailed on Varl like that eh? Considering that she's done it before (as shown in the comics and as mentioned in-game), I wasn't really surprised. Tbh tho, I'm not one to judge, I'd do the same, but just because I'm not a people's person

15. The song that kicked in the credits, totally didn't see it coming, but yeah, the moment I was done with that playthrough I immediately looked for it in Youtube, and now I can't stop playing it, send help-

16. Ok, but like, can we talk about the soundtrack? The reworked version of Aloy's Theme is amazing, and something I noticed about it- the HFW version of the theme sounds considerably more sci-fi-ish than the HZD version, you could say that it very subtly foreshadows how much more sci-fi-ish this game is in comparison to the first game. Dunno if it was intentional, but I kinda like that detail

17. And thus we are in the Daunt! Vuadis- excuse me- STUDIOUS Vuadis- he's funny. Funny as in 'I kinda hate him right now' lmao

18. Chainscrape is a pretty nice looking place-

19. Petra!

20. Oh look, that in-game board game I won't be playing because I suck at strategy

21. And now we get to see Erend. I kinda liked this interaction they had to be honest. Aloy had to get called out on her sh*t at some point, amirite? Erend was very obviously hurt by the way she suddenly disappeared, and in a way, no matter which option you pick, she still seems to be a bit of an a**hole, because no matter the reason she left, she still left without saying a word, and that's just not cool (says my hypocritical ass who previously admitted that I would ditch people with no remorse), so yeah Erend, you deserve to be salty about this

22. And now we go to Barren Light- Aloy still is a force to be reckoned with- the way Varl arrives just in time and Erend who is already there just going "oh you know, Aloy challenges the authorities and tempts fate, what else is new", so casually lmao

23. Shouldn't have been surprising to see Erend stand up for Aloy against the commander. While it's obvious that he still isn't happy about the stuff she's pulling, it seems that he still is determined to be there for her now, no matter what, like- he's trying, instead of holding all that stuff against Aloy, he's trying to be there for her instead when she wasn't and that shows a lot of maturity on his part

24. Regalla's entrance was pretty badass. The way the rest of the encounter went wasn't so much- it was very reminiscent of the Proving actually, except Aloy wasn't the target this time

25. My man Kotallo just stopped a Bristleback without even using a weapon, he's just rammed into it to stop it in it's tracks, how badass is that?

26. Ok, but Aloy just stood there while Grudda beat Varl's ass, she didn't even try to stop him, what gives-

27. Finally, the Shieldwing! I'm addicted to using it now-

28. And now, we're heading to the Horus. Totally not ominous and definitely Sylens' taste in lairs

29. Sylens is as insufferable as usual

30. Is it weird I feel a little bad for HADES? Whatever Sylens did to it, left it a shell of it's former self- anyways, it still was so satisfying to see it gone for good this time

31. That holo of Travis and Elisabet, in Latopolis though- "How do you love the world so much, but don't seem to love a single person it it?" I-I feel attacked-

31. That maze was a pain to figure out, I had to use a guide tbh-

32. This f*cking quest man- this damn quest- ok, so- Sylens just went "these people outside want you, but worry, they won't do anything to you, now open the hatch will you?", Aloy goes "lol no" and destroys her current Focus (considering that she hands out Focuses everywhere like they are nothing, I was left wondering just how many does she have on her person?) and uses a new one. So, the hatch to the facility was supposed to be open to Aloy only- AND THEN- EXCUSE ME, WTF

33. Oh what the f*ck- there's another- you know I was thinking about the possibility of another Elisabet clone, but definitely not like this- and like- who tf are these people? Why do they want me dead? And what the heck are these new machines?

34. F*ck Erik btw

35. The fact that we aren't even close to the middle yet and we already had our near death experience of the game tho- (they just had to name the quest "Death's Door" lmfao). That escape must have left Aloy pretty f*cked up if she was basically delirious when she got washed up on the shore. Speaking of that-

36. OUCH. WHY.

37. "I'm fine", Aloy says, nearly falling over for the like, fifth time in the last three minutes

38. I think it's cute the Utaru land-gods (to us known as Plowmowers) are named after the musical notes

39. It seems that VarlxZo has sailed! Good for them!

40. Ok, but I wanna talk about this scene for a bit- my reading of it is that- well you can very clearly see that Aloy is very determined to take off as soon as possible, even if she can barely stand. "I will crawl there if I have to" in her words. And I feel like she would have actually gone through with I believe, she has zero chill. And then she sees what Varl and Zo have going. I think she was a little guilty. Like, he seemed to be happy with Zo, and because of her stubbornness he would miss out on going with her to Plainsong. So Aloy giving in to their request to rest up and heal, is giving up on this small bit of selfishness she got going for Varl's sake. Well, she definitely benefited from it in the end though, that's good.

41. On an unrelated note, I got two of them actually, I'm kinda glad they are still keeping Aloy single (not me here projecting my aroace ass). Like, it's not just that, I just think that Aloy isn't really ready for something as deep as a romance, not yet at least. I mean, think about it: she grew up as an outcast, with only one person to talk to, so let's be honest here, she really doesn't know her way around people, you can tell from how socially awkward (socially awkward as in the way she behaves around people, talking down figures of authority for example) and blunt she can be. And if you think about it, Aloy never really had a friend growing up (just how sad is that?), I really wouldn't be surprised if she didn't really know what being actually friends with someone means, my guess is that she has a very surface level understanding of friendship, and that's why she has so much trouble properly opening up to her friends here in HFW. TLDR; Pls, give this girl a found family/friends before we go into any romances first if they do go into that. Besiiiiiides, Erend and Varl seem to be acting more like older brother figures to me more than anything

42. Ok uh, so I have several minor unrelated notes to make regarding a specific line of side quests that from what I've seen has disappointed several people, but it's not what you might expect. Anyway, here it goes. Just putting it out there; I have no problem at all with Talanah having a thing for Amadis, and I say that as someone whose first option for romance for Aloy if it happens is Talanah (if you don't let me keep my girl ace, at least let me romance a girl, thank you very much), I mean, bi Talanah anyone? Besides, Talanah has two hands 😏Second, I'm gonna put it out here, I wasn't that big on Talanah in the first place, she's an ok character for me at best, the one that is a little over hyped, but still pretty ok. Thirdly, call it a hot take if you want (as if the previous ones weren't hot enough takes already lmao), it very much makes sense that Talanah wouldn't become a member of the main character crew and that she remains in the realm of side quests. Let me explain. Talanah is a pretty missable character as in, not everyone is going to invest hundreds of hours to replay a game, not everyone is going to do all side quests (let's be honest here, as great as HZD is, it's side quests weren't and the most engaging ones (now that I think of it, that might be the reason I'm not that big on Talanah)), so a combination of both can lead to a character simply not getting enough attention as to become main character grade. So I think that we should be glad we even got a Talanah side quest in the first place, because she could easily be a character who didn't get enough attention as to get a place in the sequel. I mean, imagine if a much more obscure character from the first game suddenly became a main, pretty jarring, right? Anyways- Of course you all have a right to be disappointed in how her story went, while I didn't see much in Talanah's character, you guys did, so I guess you all know something more than I do ig. I personally wasn't disappointed, because I didn't really hold any expectations for her, I was perfectly happy with what the writers had in mind for Talanah. You guys who were let down didn't, and I very much respect that. Sorry for this rant, I just kinda really wanted to talk about this, you know- With that aside, I'm gonna say this, both Talanah and Amadis deserved better. Amadis deserved better than to live with the knowledge that this person he cared so much for simply doesn't really seem to give a f*ck about him anymore and Talanah deserved better than now having to deal with that this person she came to really like might never actually come to reciprocate her feelings just because he might never really get over the aforementioned events. So my guess is that there might be still hope for TalanahxAloy shippers, not the Talanah being invited to the base thing, but a chance of the two getting together in the future, who knows (optimism at it's finest ey?) Ok, done with this rant I think

43. Alright, where was I? Right, at Stone's Echo. After here we set out to find Plainsong. Man, the Utaru's architecture is kinda insane, they really just built their home on top of the satellite dishes, I'd love to live there (if not for the red blight thing)

44. Ok so uh, so much has happened in recent playthroughs that my memory is a little fuzzy when it comes to this part of the game, but if I remember correctly we went to Repair Bay TAU to reach Minerva, right? Or they needed something from the Core to track down MINERVA's exact location? I think? Can't remember, someone pls correct me on this- All I remember is fighting the Grimhorn and then Aloy was so close to pulling an Ourea while kicking HEPHAESTUS out from TAU that she just gets up, turns to the others and basically goes thumbs up looking like she's this close to falling apart lmao

45. Poor MINERVA tho, must have been scared, but at least we managed to get GAIA up and working! Yay! Mother Nature as an AI is back!

46. Ok but like- Horizon having a base of operations in the game was something I never knew I needed. It's perfect and I just love how it becomes more and more like home with each passing mission, I just-

47. And so, the hunt for the subfunctions begins. I went from highest level to lowest first so I went with the order of DEMETER, POSEIDON and AETHER. How it went? Well-

48. DEMETER wasn't that hard tho I got lost in the tunnels a bit- Alva is baby

49. Also f*ck Dreadwings, glad I never saw them again after that

50. We finally get to see Beta now! I like her, poor thing, she didn't deserve the Zeniths' treatment of her. Also Aloy, I know you're both traumatized and tired, but please stop being mean to her

51. As I was approached the ruins of Las Vegas to find POSEIDON, I was like "there is water somewhere under that desert, right?" There was. I just wasn't expecting so much of it lmao

52. For me Morlund and crew were a more bearable version of Gildun, I enjoyed hanging out of them, just realized that I never came back for them D:

53. And at last, AETHER. More complicated than I thought it'd be, because I literally had to fell half a mountain to get an event going. Aloy being a little gremlin in this one was so fun, and Kotallo was just so done with her sh*t lmao

54. Speaking of Kotallo, we stan him in this house

55. Why did it have to be a Slitherfang-

56. We're going to San Francisco baby wooo! The things we saw there tho- *shudder*, I felt a very distinct sense of dread walking through the bunker

57. It turns out Ted was further gone than I thought. Not only he has the biggest ego in history, but he also just rid of some of the people who lived in Thebes with him? I'm suddenly worried about what happened to the people in Elysium

58. Is it bad I wanted to mash Ceo's head all throughout the tour of Ted's limbo?

59. I really don't want to know what exactly was the thing I saw in that holo in the office, because whatever it was, it really didn't end well for him (he deserved it tho, f*ck Ted Faro)

60. So yeah, about point 58? Ted Faro's massive head crushed Ceo's... well... Everything. And the other guy just fell into the lava. Big yikes for both of them

61. We are now good with Beta it seems, you could say that we are close now, I like that. Sisters!

62. Aloy and the squad ready to force HEPHAESTUS into the found family against its will 😎

63. When the Zeniths bust through the roof after capturing HEPHAESTUS: This is why we can't have nice things!

64. I'm in- genuine shock guys. He's dead. Varl's f*cking dead. And Beta and GAIA are gone too. Aloy swore to protect her and she failed. Aloy must feel like she failed both of them and that's as rock bottom as it can get, just great

65. Tilda. She's sus. I don't trust her.

66. Not gonna lie guys, I almost cried at the talk Aloy had with Zo about Varl. And she is with his child too?!

67. Damn, someone's gonna have to tell Sona now. I feel bad for her you know. First she lost Vala, and now her other child too, that's just so f*cking sad

68. Another reason why Varl dying was so impactful was that he was there since the beginning, you know? He followed Aloy into the forbidden ruins of the Old Ones back in the Sacred Lands. He followed her to Meridian to fight a threat he admits that he can't really understand, but he did that anyways. He tracked Aloy all the way out to the middle of nowhere to help her with her mission of finding GAIA. He found Aloy in the aftermath of Latopolis. He was so willing to come and help Aloy investigate the mysterious signal. He just trusted and cared for her and the rest of his friends so f*cking much, and he ultimately paid for it

69. "Can't I just mourn for the loss of my friend?" It was so heartbreaking to hear Erend say that-

70. While still dealing with the loss of a great friend, the team must still move on and find a way to stop the Zeniths for good. Using a small gift Beta gave us back in GEMINI and the knowledge Tilda provided us with, it's time to put an end to Regalla's rebellion...

71. WE CAN FLY, HOLY SH*T- (damn that escalated quickly)

72. In the most badass way you can imagine, Aloy swooped with her trusty Sunwing down in the battlefield between Hekarro's army and Regalla's and destroyed her machines

73. And then we finally face Regalla head on. Her boss fight was kinda like HFW's equivalent to Helis', but meaner, b*tchier and harder, it took forever lmao

74. With Sylens' uncovered plan foiled, Aloy gets to meet him again and makes a deal with him...

75. To close, Tilda and Sylens seem to be a match made in hell, nothing can possibly go wrong with these two in the same room s/

•••

Tomorrow I'm finishing my first playthrough of the game (my gaming method is first playthrough being a speedrun of the story and the second and following playthroughs being a more loose and slow play of it with the side quests and activities and everything), so expect another blog on my thoughts on the finale too, though probably it won't be as long as this post since I wrote my thoughts on like 85% of the story lmao

I probably missed lots of stuff in this writedown but if I add them I can't be bothered to edit the numbers so I leave it be.

As of now it was great experience, tho I'm a little bummed out that the first gameplay trailer we got of HFW wasn't even in the story! Is it even in the game at all? Guerilla, pls explain-

I will gladly hear people's opinions, either on the game or on my own takes on it, I just really need to talk about the game.

What were your thoughts on it?

[thewitchness]

The SO spake wisdom today after finishing their first playthrough of Forbidden West.

"If I were Aloy talking to Sona, tell her he became a Nora Herald, spreading the word amongst the other tribes and gathered allies to the cause." Aloy would draw the face paint of the Herald (which we haven't designed, because I can't draw faces that well, and they are talking crap to Studious Vuadis right now).

Blanket invitation to any illustrator who wants to reblog with their ideas.